Annual KEEP Day in Frankfort to be Held March 12

by | Feb 25, 2020 | News

Industry leaders, equine affiliate organizations and horse enthusiasts to meet with legislators

LEXINGTON, Ky. (Tuesday, February 25, 2020) – The Kentucky Equine Education Project (KEEP) announced that it will host the fourth annual KEEP Day in Frankfort on Thursday, March 12, 2020. KEEP Day in Frankfort provides KEEP grassroots members, industry leaders and breed associations an opportunity to share with state legislators the importance of horses to their districts and to the state’s economy.

The event will take place from 8:30 AM – 10:30 AM in Room 125 in the Capitol Annex.

Kentucky’s horse industry and community create an annual economic impact on the state of $3.4 billion. This economy supports nearly 80,000 jobs and spans the entire state. From trail rides to tourism to horse shows to the Kentucky Derby, the horse industry is woven throughout the culture of the Commonwealth.

Elisabeth Jensen, KEEP’s Executive Vice President who oversees the daily operations of the organization, commented, “KEEP Day in Frankfort is a great opportunity for legislators to connect with the horse industry to learn exactly what makes this industry so special and important to the state. Each year, KEEP Day brings representatives of all facets of the industry to Frankfort and we expect that this year will be our biggest yet. Kentucky’s horse industry continues to lead the nation and KEEP is proud to be part of that success.”

Created in 2004 to preserve, promote and protect the state’s signature industry, KEEP represents and advocates on behalf of Kentucky’s entire horse industry – all breeds and equine pursuits.

Jensen continued, “The issues we look forward to discussing this year include the importance of legalizing sports wagering, bills that would allow veterinarians to report animal abuse and legislation that would secure enrollment spaces in veterinary programs for Kentucky’s students. Additionally, we continue working to find solutions to address the problems that plague our industry, like labor shortages. I look forward to updating legislators on the results of our partnership with the Chamber of Commerce and the innovative ideas that we are putting into practice.”

ABOUT KEEP
The Kentucky Equine Education Project, Kentucky’s equine economic advocate, is a not-for-profit grassroots organization created in 2004 to preserve, promote and protect Kentucky’s signature multi-breed horse industry. KEEP is committed to ensuring Kentucky remains the horse capital of the world, including educating Kentuckians and elected officials of the importance of the horse industry to the state. KEEP was the driving force in the establishment of the Kentucky Breeders Incentive Fund, which has paid out more than $177 million to Kentucky breeders since its inception in 2006, and pari-mutuel wagering on historical horse racing, which has been responsible for more than $40 million to purses and more than $24 million to the Kentucky Thoroughbred Development Fund.

KEEP works to strengthen the horse economy in Kentucky through our statewide network of citizen advocates. To learn more about how you can become a member or support our work, please visit www.horseswork.com.